I've still not seen this in stores in the UK (not that I've looked very thoroughly) but considering it came out last year you'd think it would be. I've been pleasantly surprised by the Polo lines 'Luxury' output, the leather one was pretty good and the Oud one was excellent. It's not often I post a comment here unless it's a review but when the notes or concept of a fragrance grabs me, it compels me to comment without having sampled yet. I think cashmerean is a great modern ingredient, warm, cozy slightly powdered and ethereal and the notes of myrrh, cardamom and orris surrounding it in here sound like Supreme Cashmere is going to be a winner. I will update this with a review when I've tried it...can't wait.
Great name, great perfumer, this won an award I seem to recall (or it was shortlisted?) I actually love the Olfactive Studios brand, and I got the sample (along with a box of others) for free! This was lining up to be an absolute corker. A bit of background is needed to set the scene for this review. I had reviewed Lumiere Blanche on my Instagram feed and stated that like many Olfactive Studios fragrances, they are magnificent concepts and great openers but lack lustre drydown and fleeting in terms of performance. (Woody Mood ironically is anything but) On balance I don't put that much weight on the performance aspect as many reviewers do, some fragrances are supposed to be like that. However, when you get something deep, rich and complex you kinda hope it will last and stay that way. Selfish and unrealistic perhaps but it's more out of disappointment than anything because I really like the smell. So I sort of slated OS for this and received some comments from Celine below my post. I can hardly blame her really, if someone even hinted at slagging off my baby, I'd claw their eyes out!!! Anyway, she was very lovely and gracious about it and gave her justifications for the concentration of Lumiere Blanche. Needless to say I felt bad as I was clearly a fan of the house regardless of my minor gripes. She suggested that I try her newer release Woody Mood and proceeded to send me some samples which was incredibly kind of of her. So it's terrible that I have to say.... I really don't like it at all. I appreciate that it is innovative and frankly brilliant perfumery, mixing a warm, dense woody, oriental with the modernity that Duchaufour seems to bring to everything he does. Elements in here I definitely like and as I said above the quality, performance and concentration of Woody mood are all off the charts, and I'm not surprised it's received critical acclaim, but there's no accounting for taste though and it's just not to mine. The opening is typical of the house very unique but right away I'm confronted by a smokey, rubbery, unusual woods, typically challenging and typical of BD. I get the tea note and the cacao and there's a conspiracy of clary sage and a kinda leathery smell, which make it more serious and dark. It's a bit like the new Dior Santal noire (If I had to back compare) but this has far more notes and maybe the sequoia is what's bothering me? I really don't know? I loved santal noire and I don't love this. It takes several hours for WM's more troubling notes to subside however and I'm left with elements I think are pretty gorgeous. The point is I don't like it, but I absolutely respect it. Facts are if it was just another spicy sandalwood or oriental with oud or leather sure it would be nice but wouldn't be breaking any new ground. I love the fact that I don't like it, because other people do and Woody Mood is truly unique stuff.
Zino is one of those fragrances, I’ve never owned it until now because I fall In and out of love with patchouli heavy scents and this was one I was never really fussed about. I’ve recently bought it and I got the new reformulation which clearly doesn’t have the strength and depth quality of the original but what reformulation does? Zino however has gotten off pretty lightly compared to some, especially men’s classics from this era. This modern bottle captures the spirit, pretty well, lasts okay, retreating to a skin scent but a really nice one, so yeah I wouldn’t give it too much of a hard time. The scent itself to me is reminiscent of heritage, and Givenchy gentlemen but has a totally different take on the patchouli and sandalwood macho vibe. The opening is bright, musky, dirty, citrus/lavender opening out to geranium and into the clary sage/patchouli rosewood/Santal accord. It smells, grubby manly but smooth and refined at the same time. If the chief of the company and wants a perfume named after him you can bet it’s gonna be pretty special and it is.
Smelling and wearing K de Krizia, one wonders if Maurice Roucel looked for inspiration in Dioressence and Miss Dior. While all 3 perfumes are a beauty on their own, K has that beautifull herbal-ness of Dioressence that makes it stand out, even among vintage Christian Dior fragrances. K came out in 1980 (or 1981, depending on the source) as the debut fragrance of Mariuccia Mandelli, and has always been considered an aldehydic floral. But K is so complex, so intriguing, so much more that this title doesn’t do it justice. K is floral, leathery, animalic, powdery, chypre, aldehydic, herbal...it’s an elixir on its own! The aldehydes are there in the opening, hushed and mellow unlike other aldehydic fragrances. Neroli provides an even fresher sensation with its mellow sweetness, before the floral heart takes over. And here is where the magic happens! Hyacinth is the star; a rich, oily, leathery hyacinth that for a moment, briefly reminds me of the original Trussardi for women. Delicate and whimsical in appearance, hyacinth looks far more innocent than it really is. The rough edges are put upfront, surrounded by narcissus (another killer flower with animalic nuances) and carnation, which adds a spicy and piquant touch. After all, these flowers are anything but demure and innocent. Among them, orris engulfs the flower orgy in one of the most beautiful powder clouds I have ever encountered; you haven’t smelled powdery until you’ve smelt K. Floral powder, leather, oiliness...here is where I’m reminded of Miss Dior (the real one) and see (smell) the imprint it has left and the impact it has made in perfumery. But the base notes aren’t far behind. Oakmoss, animalic musk (nitromusks more likely), civet, sandalwood...it all somehow combines and brings to mind the herbal beauty of Dioressence. The notes are different, the arrangement is more modern, but yet, the classics inspire the new, and the ghost of it lingers on skin like a nymph. Somewhere, deep in the heart of an emerald green forest, a witches brew surrounds me. A beautiful full force chypre. K has average sillage, and lasts around 16 hours on my skin, hovering above and sending fragrant tendrils to my nose with temperature variations. Krizia chose a classically composed fragrance for her debut, and while probably a big seller in its day, it seems overlooked and underrated. It’s a vintage treasure that hardly gets mentioned, and it’s a shame because it’s a beauty on its own, quite cheap on eBay, and seems to keep very well. I have a large 100ml edp from 1981, and even though it brings to mind many fragrances, it can hold its own. It might start innocent and ethereal, but it has a big and bold heart, that was made more evident in the following Teatro Alla Scala. If you enjoy green/floral animalic chypres, leathery and powdery herbal green perfumes, or simply love old fashioned quality perfumery, seek it out. Krizia was a helluva designer, and her perfumes were even better. Italian at its best!
The review below is one way of looking at it, some could gush about the subtlety of these perfume, neither position is right or wrong, meaning I shall remain firmly perched on the fence about Bigarade Concentree. It has the romantic simplicity of Ellena's compositions and his typical style is written all over this. Opens really lovely, with a wonderful orange note, juicy, zesty and green. It proceeds to get slightly more of a bitter orange feel it, then a very faint hint of cumin. Cedar is about the only other note I get, maybe some of that hay is what is creating the grassy/dry/spice of cumin? and coupled with the bitterness of the orange it's a really good combination. I love the smell of this perfume, however is it worth the pricetag and with poor lasting power? Not for me, but if you want the exclusivity of a JCE creation on FM's imprint rather than Hermes or similar then I get why you might want it. UPDATE: How bloody interesting hey? Look what I said above only in 2018? I own this now and I would say that Malle creations are something which stay with you, and make an impression even if it seems as though they didn't at first. I'm not sure why? Is it the careful curation and contrary to my closing comment (above) the fact that Malle gets the best out of his perfumers? I mean JCE has made plenty of citruses but this really is Iconic. I think my description above is pretty bloody spot on, If I do say so myself. I'd maybe say that the listed 'hay' note really comes into play in this and works so well. I love it.
As much as this new ferrari line are impressively presented and superficially good quality, I'm not that taken with them, however this is one of the better ones for me. It's not just because I'm not a fan of Neroli in particular because in the right context it's very enjoyable, in fact in this context it's very enjoyable but one factor to me stifled hopes I had of adding this to my wardrobe, and that is... performance. Indeed it smells similar to niche, fresh citrus neroli's like TF Portofino but that lasts well and has somewhat of a base to speak of, after the initial excitement of bright Neroli's opening, (to use a boxing term) it gasses in the later rounds. Don't get me wrong, the sharp opening is as bright as it's namesake and the white florals in here smell of decent enough quality, however it's a slightly clumsy approach, not much finesse or surprises, just full on citrus and full on neroli. Considering the hype it's received and the powerful opening, I was extremely surprised by the lack of longevity. Some might say I'm being harsh for 20 odd £'s for 100ml and they might have a point, I've never been one to fixate about performance but here (maybe unfairly?) it bothered me slightly. I got a few hours out of it so if you want a decent, but throwaway, affordable neroli this is perfect. In spite of everything I've said I would still buy this and wear it beacause the price is so agreeable, Maybe it needs a few wears and just spray loads. Thumbs up ferrari.
A really interesting fragrance in that it progresses nicely with three distinct phases. Firstly it's a heavy, tobacco and honey/beeswax of something like Chergui or Back to Black. Then it becomes a almost powder like slightly floral version of that honey thing, finally retreating completely to a totally soft leather incense smell. I didn't find it very mind blowing, I do like the way it transitions and as someone who isn't a fan of honey or beeswax this has just the right balance. I wasn't convinced by it, longevity and sillage weren't there for the price point. The concept and quality are clearly there but it doesn't deliver performance and that is critical here. Chergui doesn't change as much as this one and has that hay note and arguably a stronger honey note however that lasts. Shame, I'm beeen meaning to sample Ramon's work but perhaps this wasn't the best one to start with.
Burberry London is a really interesting scent. It gallops through the top notes and when I use it on me, I get a strong lavender and a fair lump of cinnamon right up front, fairly sweet and a nostalgic 80s sort of vibe. After a few minutes, it tones down and the lavender drops into the middle a bit more opening up to a very strong note that smells a lot like pine, then comes a really spicey note. I actually agree with the below review that at this stage I get a spicey sweat vibe, but gross as it sounds, it isn't unpleasant for me. It passes as quickly as it comes however and as it fades after just a few more minutes cherries come out along with mimosa and a little smoke, which seem ever present from this point on, giving it an incense sort of vibe. Here I feel like it finally settles down and rounds out into a soft, lightly powdery, smokey, heavily woodsy and lightly floral scent with small hints of moss, pine, spice and a little cherry tobacco and leather. I don't get the upfront tobacco note as others do so much, but it is there. Overall I think it's a beautiful scent and in the cold months, the real depths of winter, this is surely a nailed on "go to" scent for a gentleman. It's quite mature I would say, not sure I'd call it sexy per-se, but it's the sort of scent that is going to make people smile. Whilst quite narrow in that it's really a winter scent only, maybe autumn, I feel like it's versatile in terms of occasions and it would work equally well as a dressed down, casual or for a classy, sophisticated evening since it sits quite close and isn't oppressive in any way. I really rate it. Beautiful scent and for the cheap price, almost criminally high quality.
Les dieux vivants ont leur parfum. Kouros. 1984 Charles of the Ritz (Paris) version. Long review. The scent of gods. Kouros. A marvel of 1980’s perfumery, Yves Saint Laurent’s ‘most expensive perfume for men’ came 4 years after Opium, the oriental that changed the world and shaped a generation into excess and decadence. Not without controversy, while Opium was said to encourage drug use and illicit substances, Kouros (codenamed Eros during development) was deemed ‘excessively dirty’ and far too provocative. In the last golden decade of quality perfumery, Yves Saint Laurent showed the world that vision and guts and perseverance are necessary risks to succeed. Without them, one simply follows. Yves lead. Kouros is one of the most polarizing fragrances, a sign of genius and innovation, a true ‘love it or hate it’ perfume. I, feel it’s one of the most beautiful creations and for me it’s the best male perfume ever created. But that’s just me, and while I adore it, I know many can’t stand it. A massive hit since day 1, Kouros came at the right time (1981, the decade of excess and power and greed), at the right place (Paris - only a house like YSL could launch an equally provocative perfume for men like they did for women with the blockbuster Opium), and with the right promotion/marketing (the white statuesque bottle, the name, the scent; Pierre Bourdon’s magnum opus). In the following years many tried to imitate its success, some better than others but none managed to surpass it. The success of Kouros lies in the dichotomy of clean and dirty, purity and carnality, and that couldn’t be copied. To envision Kouros, one must envision imagery. Imagine a beach in Greece, Lalaria beach in Skiathos for example. The water is deep crystalline blue, the sun is burning brightly but the gentle breeze that hits the rocks cools the hot August air. There’s no noise, hardly anyone, and you are lying there basking in the glory of the summer. Suddenly, a well tanned, tall, muscular hunk appears a few feet away from you. Watching his statuesque physique, you catch a whiff of him. He smells of soap, probably from the shower he took before coming down to the beach, and of a light herbal deodorant. The smell mixes with the scent of sea salt, iodine, open air and ocean. This is the clean and showered opening of Kouros. But then again, Kouros is primordially erotic, sensual, of desire. And this hunk soon goes swimming, to cool down in the clear blue waters. From afar you gaze, watching how he swims with artistic grace, taking long strokes until he disappears into the ocean, only to emerge refreshed, with a white brief, that barely hides his masculinity. He smiles politely at you, and lays down on his towel. You feel embarrassed but somehow, you can’t stop staring at him. He lights a cigarette, and suddenly you smell the smoke that comes out of his full lips, the light sweat, the smell of salt evaporating from his body, the smell of Coppertone sun oil; you smell him. And the smell, combined, feels animal, debaucherous, lustful, hedonistic. There’s nothing explicitly sexual, but you get aroused simply by the thought of it; a hot summer, a one night stand, a perfect stranger. Living dangerously, youth is risky and hormone driven. Let go and surrender. He is Kouros. A masterful combination of natural civet, castoreum, costus root, Animalis base from Synarôme (later used in Montana’s eponymous first creation and falling out of style by the late 80’s), leather, honey, musk, geranium, artemisia, jasmine, patchouli, and many more that combine in true artistry to create something bigger than the sum of its parts. Kouros isn’t animalic just for the sake of it, which he is - one of the most animalic fragrances created; he is animal. He is as clean or as dirty as you want him to be. He will either lure you closer or pull you apart, but he won’t leave you indifferent. He’s smart, hot, killer smile and big attitude. He’s the boy momma said to stay away from, and it’s one of the reasons many women wear Kouros with amazing panache (perfume has no gender). But if you fall for him, there’s no going back. Once upon a time, a fragrance lead you to dream, fantasize, ready to conquer the world. It was pure emotion, art, sensuality. In the early 90’s all that was big and powerful was deemed wrong, and minimalism entered our world, while big hair and big sillage left slowly from the back door. A big wave of Calone was coming to wash us of sins and perfume. Kouros started falling out of favor and all the reformulations that came didn’t do any favors; by the late 90’s/early 2000’s he was slowly fading away. Today, what you find in stores is a mere glimpse of what once was ‘le parfum des dieux vivants’. Times change, everything evolves (or not, depending how you see it) and people move forward. Perfumery came at its opus with fireworks and left slowly as if a mortal sin. Today, very very few perfumes have the surprise and shock factor of Kouros, and even fewer offer something new, emotion, personality. Once upon a time, perfumes were a big Dreamland. And inside a white ceramic statuesque bottle, living gods had their perfume. Kouros.
There's a lot going on but I absolutely cannot stand it. Way too heavy for me, it's as subtle as a brick wall, just oppressive and nauseating. I feel like if I could just water this down to about half the strength, I could get my nose in and there might be something interesting here, but as it is, if I try it's just headache inducing. Total scrubber for me, but to be fair, I really just can't do these heavy, sweet scents. Just not for me.
When I first smelt this, I thought the smoke note was a little bit challenging, it opens strong and bold and the smokiness tested me, but I loved the leather and fruit. It definitely grew on me though and over a couple of wears, I started really coming around to it and eventually found the smokiness that I originally struggled with to be pleasing. I'd say it drys down a little on the feminine side as the florals and fruit come out a little more, but it does maintain a quite rough masculinity at the same time. I really like it and think it's a great scent, a little difficult to wear at times and I wouldn't call it a crowd pleaser but it's unique and interesting and has a lovely, gentle, warmth and darkness to it. I appreciate that it's quite a heavy scent but never gets cloying or oppressive and at £20 for 100ml, it smells significantly more expensive than it is. I have no idea about TL, so can't say anything about that. I bought this because I wanted to try out a leather and see how it suited me but it has made me curious to try TL next.
I bought Terre D'Hermes for work when I started a new job. I'm generally quite close to people for prolonged periods but it's a fairly fashion-forward industry so you can't just call it in. I'd heard TD'H was versatile and inoffensive but still interesting. I thought I'd give it a test, feeling hopeful. Not much else to say, it ticked all three boxes and then some. Others have waxed about it so I'll just back them up and say that I think it's an absolute masterclass in perfumery. The very opening upon spraying is a bit harsh for a few minutes as the orange settles down, that's the only criticism I have and it's a push to even bring it up. The harshness fades quickly to just an absolute beauty of an orange, rough scent that just grows softer and more comfortable throughout the wear. It's undeniably masculine, fresh enough to pull off the dirty undertones and drys down with just a hint of darkness to keep you guessing. Glorious. I've had so many compliments on the smell and yet with its high ratings, it always seems to remain unique. Notes: Dirty, earthy orange, a little bitter and not sweet. There is wood and some spice in there and some mossy, patchouli with the tiniest hint of some kind of smoke in the late dry-down, which I don't think is listed, rather an amalgamation of other notes. When: Any occasion any season IMO, very versatile. It's definitely got a class and sophistication but can be dressed down too. The only time I wouldn't wear this would be the high heat of mid-summer. I think you could pull it off, but there are probably better choices at that point.
Simple, linear, possibly safe and dull to some, but I think people are surely missing a trick with this one. It looks like it's been voted as a spring/summer scent here on Fragrantica, but stick with me a second here for a bit of a leftfield suggestion that can really make XY shine. Try it on those cold, winter (and maybe early spring) days, when the sky is blue and the air is cold, crisp, and fresh. The pear leaf and mint are definitely the notes than ring through and rather than fight against the cool winter air, it embraces and harmonises with it. Just below it all, you get the peppery basil which is subtle and fresh but just adds enough herby spice to give it a touch of warmth along with the mustiness of the patchouli. I absolutely love this fragrance for those rare days that are already so invigorating and this scent just adds to what nature is already giving us. I only ever wear this during those rare days which means it's lasted me a lifetime but every time I do get it out, I find it so pleasing. You can pick this up really cheap now so I say give it a go if you see one for a steal. It's no great shakes at being a summer freshie for sure, but for that handful of days in the depths of winter or in early spring, it's an absolute winner in my eyes. It's not going to blow anyone away on a test strip, I get that. Wear it this way however and it can be a bit of a surprise special. Notes: Pear leaf, mint and basil stick out to me far above anything else with a subtle, soft underlying musty patchouli. When: Winter winter winter! When the sun is out, but it's still 0 degrees out and the air is crisp, sharp and fresh. It would suit any occasion due to it's soft, somewhat safe vibe.
I'm so glad I finally made this mine. I tried it in about 2013 I think? (I'm sure I penned a review... obviously not) managing to score a few samples and I was very impressed, with a classic and brilliantly executed fougere. However, other fragrances took priority and it's taken me until now to make it mine. Seemingly simple at first but has loads of layers and depth to it. The opening is fresh bergamot but only for a split second before waves of green, lushness and aromatic lavender and camomile embrace the senses. This truly evokes the natural, fern smell of the fougere name perfectly. The settled fragrance fritz between this lightwieght, upbeat, perfumery and a darker more earthy and masculine heart. This juxtaposition of contradictory, Schrodinger's cat-esque, super states is what true art can do for you. It has two main constituents which I love and that's geranium and carnation and they come on strong in the drydown. There's also an element of something a bit hand cream like and waxy even, slightly unpleasant (clary sage I reckon) peeking through only at times making the intrigue build even more. As we go right into the drydown the patchouli in the base kicks more and more giving it more substance and dirt. For a fougere with such green credentials so strange that it has shades of oriental warmth about it too. It starts to get a bit like Opium pour Homme, or even Bois 1920 Sushi Imperiale all that hazy carnation and spice. Almost faultless perfumery, I'm charmed by Fougere Royale it's superb. Guys you need to get this stuff. It's not the strongest fragrance in the world but the quality is there and if you over spray it like I did, it performs very satisfactorily indeed.
Wow! So this was an exclusive at Harrods yet it’s taken two years to get a wider release? My opinion is that it was worth the wait. Seriously this is awesome stuff! Smells very classic and very masculine but you are paying a premium for it. I’d feared, with a name like Sandalo that it would be a very slight, sandalwood but it’s more of a classic, I detect oak moss and patchouli, and a dirty lavender with a kind of eathiness reminding me of Tom Ford for men maybe or RL Safari, VC&A Tsar or classic eighties fragrances with sandalwood. It’s an aromatic Fougere type scent, citrus top notes, herbal and woody, the soft, clean woods left at the end are like a oud and sandalwood combo. I think it’s fantastic and another classic masculine idea in the same way Quercia from this line was too. I hope it’s not wildly expensive because I want it.
I’ve been desperately trying to figure out what this reminded me of and it’s Mandate, albeit this is smoother, stronger and all around more appealing version than the current one. I love Sandalo. It’s masculine, complex and I think I stated in my last review that my favourite was Quercia which is still great but it’s been overtaken by this.
Now I make no secret of the fact I love Andrier’s work but this whole Homme line has been a really slow burner for me. The original left me a bit cold, sure it was good but didn’t feel it making a lasting impression, the intense version was nice too but still didn’t captivate me. The one that did it for me was Femme, delicate and lovely but in keeping with the whole theme of this line, and even though I liked L’eau...I think I like it more because I just get them all now! Not that there was much to get, soft milky iris and warm woods and amber. L’eau is a touch fresher though, and does have white florals in here but again handled expertly by the perfumer. This is another one that will gradually give up its powdery secrets over time and no doubt charm me even more. I really liked it.
A pretty standard opening for an oud/rose fragrance but boy is it luminous and upbeat eventually settling to something of a clean, bright musk and sweet roses. One of the major notes in this composition is geranium, powdery and floral but with green fresh, airy aldehydes. Fascinating progression and an absolutely winning formula from something I thought might’ve been a stuffy and not particularly inspiring oud. I actually love this fragrance it was a decent blind buy.
This was a blind buy and a 'like' that I suspect may turn into a 'love'. However, it's not all fun and games, this fragrance is a challenge and has that kinda stale smoke smell you get with something like Rasasi Tobacco blaze (not near as bad) It's a very very dry woody smell. The opening does have some spicy notes and hint of cinnamon but that is soon overwhelmed by the main accord or dirty woods. This gets warmer and softer and more appealing throughout. This is undoubtedly an oud fragrance, it's pretty glaring and soft but no slouch on projection or longevity sitting low but humming away. I was slightly thrown out of the 'Niche' vibe after opening the 'fancy' looking but ultimately cheap and tacky box when confronted with a bottle that when I removed the top half of it broke off and remained in situ. Ruining the 'Niche' illusion for me. Thankfully the fragrance itself stacked up and I'm not so bothered about such things. I can't wait to wear it properly as it keep me sniffing. Oh also I have really wanted to find an alternative to the discontinued Rive Gauche intense and for long periods I was wondering why this was even compared, but sure enough this does resemble it in the drydown somehow, but this is still a dirtier, stranger cousin. I liked it.
I'm only just coming to write my review as I've had this on my list for sometime without doing anything about it, saw it cheap and just had to buy it. Well, it's just as I remember, an excellent kind of freshie that evokes aquatic vibes but with a super simple composition which opens sharp, kinda bitter grapefruit, pink pepper and I could swear a kinda cumin/caraway sort of thing which is a direct nod to the original on a cedar base. Oh yeah I get a touch of ginger in L'eau too, although it might just be the extra sharpness of the citrus & pink pepper giving that effect. It's classic and does resemble Dior Homme Cologne to some extent but with loads of the original Declaration as well making it a unique prospect. I was a little disappointed with performance, considering I sprayed it in store when it was released a few years back and thought the longevity was superb for this kind of fragrance. Anyway I'm glad to have it in my collection for another option on hotter days. Oh and Cartier have some classy looking bottles, this is no exception. Update: After owning this one for a while now, I'm gonna say that my initial regard for it was scuppered after I purchased it thinking....this isn't quite how I recall it being. However, wearing it more it's brought to light the spicier facets and even the light, curry leaf, cumin notes of the original, politely and distantly being nodded at and evoked by what is a brilliant, throwaway version of the original Declaration. This having more brightness and gingery pep to it. I love it again.
I remember this fragrance being released, but I always like the smell of Jungle Homme but felt it was a bit lightweight. I don't know if it's nostalgia but when I smell it now I get the subtle nuance, Oliver Cresp is wanting to convey. Relaxed, lime opening which is gently spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, melting into a soft sandalwood musk. It smells exotic and is quietly projecting and lasting well too. Truly stunning. Kinda reminds me of lots of things but is unique at the same time. Maybe Gucci Envy a fragrance from a similar time period, maybe a touch of Lalique Homme and Equis? Something about this is just so 90's. I effectively blind bought as I genuinely couldn't remember what Jungle Homme smelled like and I'm over the moon with it. I really like Kenzo as a brand, even the clothes are cool (despite the hefty pricetag) and the playful and let's face it slightly ridiculous design of the flacon needs a place in my wardrobe. I haven't had a Kenzo fragrance since Homme and that was going way back.
This fragrance is absolute filth! In a really good way though. The opening is chaotic, headbangingly strong and conflicted, floral, animalic, musky, a bit metallic, sickly sweet with heavy spicing. When it’s settles it’s a brutal musk, surrounded by indistinct florals and a fruity note, tinged with bubblegum. As it dries down though it becomes really interesting and a cuddly warm, spiced amber scent develops, deeply, deeply resinous. To be honest I was really in two minds about that opening but when settled, even though it still smells of musky and sweet even skanky notes I love it. The complexity is something to behold, becoming exceptionally woody, balmy even a touch smokey. This is not a typical powerhouse in the way the other one man shows are, this has eastern almost oud like vibes about it. The projection in the first 20 mins of applying is nothing short of nuclear, but does die down respectably, performance is good and im a big fan of how ridiculous this is already. Blind bought it as well so it’s extra impressive, a stonking good romp of a fragrance, probably not for everyone though.
A soft, woody fragrance in terms of impact it's not much to write home about from a brand I'd not come across. Having said this, you just don't smell many (newish) fragrances like this, it's classy and understated. The opening is watery and fig like with a very subtle anise like to my nose, developing into a kind of buttery floral but with something inherently woody and masculine about it. The drydown and wearing of this was slightly inconclusive because it was a hot day and even the best fragrance wouldn't of lasted on me but the card I additionally sprayed it on, still has a soft and rounded vanilla/heliotrope/violet smell about it. The main thing that makes me like this is the price. The price is really reasonable and if I see it (I won't go out of my way) I might add uomo to the collection for a bit of obscure (in a brand sense, not smell wise) fun.
As this stuff wore on, I really started to warm to it. Vince Camuto is not a brand I'm familiar with and having tried a few of the mens line I'd say they don't have anything particularly original or standout. I liked the warm, slightly powdered, musky, woods in the base underneath a happy, light hearted citrus and mandarin orange note. Clean and warm creating a lovely soft skin scent but it is just that a not very good performer. I liked the drydown the best though and if I saw this cheap I might buy as an inoffensive clean and functional scent.
For me this is Amouage in a return to form, not that there was much of a slump to be fair because I liked Braken, Beach hut was hugely interesting, I think it's just Sunshine and that purple one that was a rare miss step in my opinion. The name of this is a little weird and I can only deduce it would have negative connotations when applied to perfume. Why would you want to be an Imitation? There's probably deeper meaning and a positive spin to be found in the marketing bumf...I've no doubt. Also I respect the reviews of Nick Zee but I don't agree with him on this one. I can say categorically that Imitation doesn't even smell remotely similar to Dior Homme parfum. Okay so the opening is very floral and fresh but clearly has masses of depth and an obvious orris root base right out of the gate. This milky, creamy, leathery powdered nature defies the adjectives I just used to describe it because I might say that about a designer fragrance with an orris/iris base but this is clearly a higher calibre and that's evident straight away. I love how soft and floral this scent is with violet and just the suggestion of roses. It has a classy base and I'm no doubt there's some myrrh in here to keep in with the Amouage, incense aesthetic. The point is, individual notes are blurred by a wonderful chypre type concept and masterful perfumery. I really didn't get patchouli from it but I have only sampled once and sprayed on a card which I kept for a week or so and it still smells fantastic if very faded now. This might be an Amouage I just can't be without, I thought the smell was majestic, and for the man who has no regard for M/F fragrance paradigms. The performance is good and perfectly acceptable at a high price (not sure what the price is but I'm sure it's not cheap!) I love it.
